1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus supervising system having a central control apparatus and a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to the central control apparatus using a communication network, and in particular, relates to an image forming apparatus supervising system capable of quickly performing data communication therebetween and avoiding an erroneous operation of the image forming apparatuses.
2. Discussion of the Background
In recent years, a variety of image forming apparatus supervising systems have been proposed. Such background image forming apparatus supervising systems generally include a plurality of image forming apparatuses respectively disposed at a plurality of user sites and a central control apparatus (CCA) connected to each of the image forming apparatuses and disposed at a sales dealer or a service center. These image forming apparatuses and central control apparatus form a network.
In such a background image forming apparatus supervising system, the CCA sometimes requires to read some operation data, such as a preset fixing temperature data or the like, stored in a memory of the image forming apparatuses being supervised.
The CCA generally transmits information code data to an image forming apparatus through a communication line and a data communication apparatus (DCA). The image forming apparatus may read data indicated by the information code data from its memory, and transmit the same to the CCA through the communication line and the DCA.
However, such a background image forming apparatus supervising system requires repeating data communication between the CCA and the image forming apparatus a number of times corresponding to a number of data to be read. This results because each data stored in the image forming apparatus requires a different information code data transmitted from the CCA during the data communication. Thus, a data communication time may increase due to an increase in the number of times the data communication is executed.
Further, the image forming apparatus can not perform both a control of data communication executed between the DCA and the image forming apparatus, and a control of its image formation at a same time, when its central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as a CPU) is used to the extent of a maximum performance for the image formation. Thus, if both the controls are forcibly performed in such a case, a problem may occur in the image forming apparatus. Further, even if the CPU has a high performance and can afford to execute both controls at the same time, an inconsistency may arise in an image formation and a problem may occur if the DCA requests the CPU to change a preset image formation condition data during the image formation operation.
The present invention addresses the above-described and other problems and relates to an image forming apparatus supervising system. The image forming apparatus supervising system includes a central control apparatus, a plurality of image forming apparatuses each having a memory and connected to the central control apparatus with a communication line, and a data communication apparatus connected to the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and the central control apparatus using a communication line.
The image forming apparatus supervising system further includes an information code data transmitting device for transmitting information code data having a plurality of levels, in which character data is respectively included, from the central control apparatus to the image forming apparatus, and a data reading device for reading data corresponding to the information code data from the memory.
The image forming apparatus supervising system further includes a response data transmitting device for transmitting the data read from the memory to the central control apparatus via the data communication apparatus and the communication line.
The central control apparatus may change all character data included in one or more levels lower than a prescribed level of the information code data with particular character data before transmitting the information code data when reading all data in the memory, which accords with character data included in one or more levels higher than the prescribed level of the information code data, and the data reading device reads only data of the memory which accords with the character data not changed with the particular character data when receiving the information code data.
In a further embodiment, an image forming apparatus supervising system may include an information code data transmitting device for transmitting information code data having a plurality of levels, in which character data is respectively included, from the central control apparatus to the image forming apparatuses, a data reading device for reading data corresponding to the information code data from the memory, and a response data transmitting device for transmitting the data read from the memory to the central control apparatus via the data communication apparatus and the communication line.
The central control apparatus may change character data included in a prescribed level of the information code data with particular character data before transmitting the information code data when reading all data in the memory, which accords with character data included in one or more levels higher than the prescribed level of the information code.
Further, the data reading device may read all data in the memory, which accords with the character data included in one or more levels higher than the prescribed level of the information code data.
In a further embodiment, an image forming apparatus supervising system may include a character data changing device for changing all character data included in a level of the information code data, if particular code data is included in the level when the data reading device receives the information code data.
In a further embodiment, an image forming apparatus supervising system may include a data communicating condition determining device for determining if optional data communication between the controller and a personal interface is possible. Further, an image forming apparatus supervising system may include a communication condition information transmitting device for transmitting information to the personal interface, which indicates that the optional data communication is possible when the data communicating condition determining device determines a positive response, and transmits information thereto, which indicates that the optional data communication is impossible when the data communicating condition determining device determines a negative response.
Further, the data communicating condition determining device may always determine if data communication therebetween is possible, and may quickly transmit information indicating a result of the determination to the personal interface.
Further, the data communicating condition determining device may determine if data communication therebetween is possible only when a personal interface requests for dealing of data to the controller, and may quickly transmit information indicating a result of the determination to the personal interface.